*** Marine Battery Use Survey ***
- Thread starter Maine Sail
- Start date
That question was not asked because it is really tough to quantify in relation to battery health. Battery health is more directly related to DOD, how much PSOC operation, charging and care.. I chose to use question such as
Do you know how many ampere hours per day you use?
or
Have you cone an energy budget?
and
How do you determine SOC?
or
At what point to you determine it is time to recharge?
These answers when laid over such questions as;
How many years of service do you get from your house batteries?
Begin to give me a good idea of what sorts of use practices may lead to longer or shorter life. I am only at 600 + responses thus far and hope to get at least 2K to weed out the outliers and still be left with solid data set..
In another life (25 years of Monkey suit BS) I worked closely with clinical trials data centers for Pharma and Biotech (medical sciences manager). Much of the way I designed these questions stems from what I learned from that work... The survey has many potential interesting data points that can be made and hopefully lead to better battery life.....
As it is right now those with the best practices & system knowledge seem to have the longest battery life. Not a real surprise.....
One data point I was looking at this morning was years of service when comparing 6V or 12V golf cart batteries vs. 12V Group 24, 27, 31, 4D or 8D. The results are rather striking..
Golfcart battery users are reporting 6 years + (66% 6 years & 42% 7 years+). The strongest data point for 12V Group Group 24, 27, 31, 4D or 8D was 3 years 25.3% with the vast majority 5 years or less. 42% of 12V Group 24, 27, 31, 4D or 8D users report 4 years or less.....
You'll need to do the same survey among the same group several years from now. With the knowledge that many of us gain from this forum, thanks in large part to your effort, most of us will undoubtedly see an improvement!
MainSail, I completed your battery survey a few days back and enjoyed hearing some of the early results. I should have added a few additional comments regarding my golf cart batteries that gave me 8 years of good service. Back in 2004 the batteries had the Interstate Brand, but were made then by US Battery. Before purchasing these batteries, I surveyed a number of golf cart dealers in Florida and many felt that US Batteries out lasted Trojan batteries , and at a lower cost. Back then, US was supplying Interstate with their US2200 battery.
The first week after installing the new batteries, I turned the charger off while leaving the frig on after leaving the boat. The next weekend the batteries were dead and I had to return them to the dealer for a charge since my 20 amp dumb charger would not charge the dead batteries.
The next year I purchased a 40 amp truecharge unit which I still use.While at the dock, I charge 24/7 and keep the frig on 24/7. I have always felt keeping the frig load on during the week has help avoid overcharging problems.
When I replaced the US Batteries in 2012, I found their prices have risen considerably compared to golf cart batteries made by Johnson Controls. In 2012 Johnson Controls was the new supplier for golfcart batteries to Interstate.The same battery I found at a nearby Costco store for about $90 each. I may not get 8 years with the new Johnson Controls {Costco} batteries, but will start my third season this spring.
jfssail, 1993 C36 #1233 "Windancer"
Port Clinton, OH
The first week after installing the new batteries, I turned the charger off while leaving the frig on after leaving the boat. The next weekend the batteries were dead and I had to return them to the dealer for a charge since my 20 amp dumb charger would not charge the dead batteries.
The next year I purchased a 40 amp truecharge unit which I still use.While at the dock, I charge 24/7 and keep the frig on 24/7. I have always felt keeping the frig load on during the week has help avoid overcharging problems.
When I replaced the US Batteries in 2012, I found their prices have risen considerably compared to golf cart batteries made by Johnson Controls. In 2012 Johnson Controls was the new supplier for golfcart batteries to Interstate.The same battery I found at a nearby Costco store for about $90 each. I may not get 8 years with the new Johnson Controls {Costco} batteries, but will start my third season this spring.
jfssail, 1993 C36 #1233 "Windancer"
Port Clinton, OH
Yes sadly many companies that once used US Battery have now moved to Mexico made JCI batteries. The US2200 is still avaible from US battery but is no longer made for Interstate by US Battery... Sadly US Battery pricing have gone up to now almost match that of Trojan sso they no longer represent the value they once did.....
JCI / Interstate kept the name but I find that a bit misleading seeing as it is no longer the same battery it once was. Even early Wal*Mart marine batteries were made by US Battery and were darn good for a 12V battery. Before JCI built their new plants in Mexico US Battery used to supply JCI with certain deep cycle batteries which they would then re-sell to Interstate, Kirkland, Everstart etc. etc......
Well over 700 responses so far. Looking to get closer to 2k.. If you've not done so please help out! There are no wrong answers, so long as they are honest answers!
Marine Battery Use Survey (LINK)
Marine Battery Use Survey (LINK)
did mine early first day.. I am one of the guys with great flooded battery life but boat stays at slip year around on a smart charger.. is used only occasionally on hook. Batteries are watered with a Flow Rite single point filler so they get checked and topped off often.
I was feeling pretty cocky when I filled it out last Wed. because the grp 27 AGM's in my last boat lasted exactly 10 years. Figured I was giving them optimal care, shorepower, smartcharger, year round use in moderate temps, never freezing, never over 80 degrees etc.
Then Thursday I got hit by a squall and hit the start button on 1 battery to reef and no go. One of my 4.5 YO flooded 4D's was dead from just a couple hours as house battery. Hydro'd that one and had a dead cell, tried to equalize and it didn't budge, so I replaced.
I started monitoring my new batteries more closely and was kinda surprised at how quickly the refer et al was drawing down the SOC. Just daysailing I'm drawing them down much deeper then I'd thought, I'm gonna have to pay more attention to them.
Then Thursday I got hit by a squall and hit the start button on 1 battery to reef and no go. One of my 4.5 YO flooded 4D's was dead from just a couple hours as house battery. Hydro'd that one and had a dead cell, tried to equalize and it didn't budge, so I replaced.
I started monitoring my new batteries more closely and was kinda surprised at how quickly the refer et al was drawing down the SOC. Just daysailing I'm drawing them down much deeper then I'd thought, I'm gonna have to pay more attention to them.
MS, I cancelled my survey.
it didn't make sense for a trailer sailor that uses a portable charger to 1 or the other battery.
no solar, just charged from a 110 outlet by the house.
plus I sold the boat....
it didn't make sense for a trailer sailor that uses a portable charger to 1 or the other battery.
no solar, just charged from a 110 outlet by the house.
plus I sold the boat....
Hey Maine, Did you post your survey request on Cruiser's Forum"?
If not, could be a good place to get real world responses from around the world.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f26/
Regards,
G.
If not, could be a good place to get real world responses from around the world.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f26/
Regards,
G.